Garden hose reels



May 18, 1965 E. ROCKWELL GARDEN HOSE REELS Filed May 22, 1962 INVENTOR.

ROBERT E. ROCKWELL FIG.4

AGENT United States Patent 3,184,180 GARDEN HOSE REELS Robert E. Rockwell, 12912 National Blvd, West Los Angeies, Calif. Filed May 22, 1962, Ser. No. 196,682 2 Ciaims. (Cl. 242-86) The invention herein described pertains to hose reels, and more particularly to portable hose reels especially adapted to garden hose of the hat soaker type.

Heretofore, most reels for garden hose have been very cumbersome and bulky. One of the objects of my invention is to overcome this defect by providing a very simple, light reel that may be easily stored, hung on a nail and readily removed at any time for immediate use.

In portable or mobile hose reels, heretofore, the bulky pedestal has not only added to the weight but has detracted from the maneuverability of the reel. To overcome this defect is another object of my invention.

When taking a portable or mobile hose reel to the vicinity of the tap to which the hose is to be attached, it has heretofore been necessary to position the reel quite accurately so that the hose may .be withdrawn from the reel in a direction toward the faucet if kin-king or snagging is to be avoided. Another purpose of my invention is to overcome this annoyance by providing a portable reel that will automatically pivot to the most favorable angular position as the hose is withdrawn. The same provisions that are helpful in this regard also serve to make it entirely immaterial where the reel is placed for re-reeling the hose when it use is no longer desired. The pivotal features of the reel make it absolutely immaterial where the reel is placed with respect to the faucet when the hose is to be rewound.

Another object of my invention is to provide a very simple structure that is easy to build and consequently inexpensive to the ultimate purchaser.

A further object is to so shape the vertical pivotal memher that supports the frame that it may also be used as a soil probe for testing the softness of the soil to determine its general moisture content.

Still other objects will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of my hose storing device with its single supporting member inserted in the ground.

FIG. 2 is a partially broken away enlarged right end view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 with certain parts omitted in order to reveal more clearly the general structure of the reel and supporting frame.

FIG. 3 is a top View of the device of FIG. 1 indicating in broken lines how the reel may be pivoted so that the hose may be withdrawn therefrom in any direction.

FIG. 4 is a fragementary sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

In the embodiment of my invention that I presently prefer, the main supporting frame -1 is formed of strap stock bent into a rectangular configuration with the two ends 2 and 3 of the strip of strap material overlapped to form one of the short sides of the rectangle, the double thickness of this short side serving to provide a more rigid location for attaching the pivotal support memher 4 than would otherwise be available. The rod 4 is made integral with the frame 1 by threading its upper end and passing it through suitable aligned holes in the ends 2 and 3 of the frame member 1 with lock nut 5 and 6 tightened against the end portions 2 and 3 to produce a rigid structure.

My reel 7 is formed of two discs 8 and 9 having central apertures therein to pass a shaft 19. Flanged collars 11 and 12 surround this shaft on opposite sides of the two discs 8 and 9 to which the flanges 13 and 14 of the dhddhh Patented May 18, 1965 two collars are respectively attached by means of rivets 15 passing through these flanges and the discs and stiffening members 16, these rivets being held in place by any appropriate means such as by peening over their ends. One or more spacers 17 may be used on the shaft 10 between the two discs, or the internal strengthening members 16 may be made integral with these sleeves in order to provide flanged collars on both sides of each disc.

In order to provide a core or cage to engage one end of the hose and to serve as a spool, capstan or drum upon which to wind the hose, I prefer to provide a plurality of spacing elements 18 clustered around the central shaft 15 at substantially equal radial distances therefrom. These spacers may be secured in place and strengthened by means of bolts 19 passing therethrough. Washers 2.1 are placed around the bolts beneath the heads 20 and lock washers 22 are provided on the threaded ends of the bolts under the lock nuts 23. One end of the shaft 10 is bent at right angles in two positions as shown in FIGS. 2. and 3 to form a bell crank 24. The shaft 10 is journaled in diametrically opposite holes provided in the long side members 25 and 26. The collars L1 and 12, which are made integral with the discs in the manner hereinbefo-re described are rigidly attached to the shaft 10 by means of pins 27 and 28. A washer 29 is slipped over the free end of the shaft 10 on the outside of the long side 26 of the rectangular frame and a pine or cotter pin 30 i then inserted through the shaft on the outside of the washer 29 to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft in one direction, and a similar washer 31 and cotter pin 32 are provided on the outside of member 25 of the rectangular frame to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft in the opposite direction. If desired, suitable pcening or swaging may be used at this point instead of pin 32.

When a hose is to be wound up on my reel, the end of it is merely dropped into the central cage-like structure between any pair of the spacers on the bolts 1% or between one of the spacers 1 8 and those provided on the central shaft. As soon as the drum has been rotated a few degrees by means of the crank handle 33, which is an integral part of the bell crank 24, a sufiicient snubbing action will be provided in the hose to cause it to wind around the cagelike structure or capstan formed by the spacers 18.

When the hose or soaker that has been wound upon the reel is to be used, it may be carried to the vicinity of the tap or faucet by means of the handle portion 34 that forms the top short side of the rectangular frame. Sulficient space is provided between this short side 34 and the proximate edges of the disc 8 and 9 for at least two fingers to be inserted in this space for easy carrying, the short side 34 thus forming a carrying handle.

A hole 37 is provided in the side member 2-6 opposite the crank handle 33 for hanging the reel assembly on a suitable hook or nail when the hose is not in use.

Before removing the hose from the reel, the sharp end 35 of the pivotal rod 4 is inserted in the ground, the difficulty of inserting giving some idea of the moisture content of the ground and of the probable amount of watering that may he required in that particular vicinity of the lawn or garden. When the hose 36 is pulled away from the reel as shown in FIG. 3, it may be withdrawn in the direction of the faucet to which it is to be attached, and if it is pulled to one side or the other, the hose will rotate the entire reel with it as indicated by the dotted or broken line positions shown in FIG. 3.

In view of the small diameter of the rod 4, the frictional drag of the soil on the outside of the rod 4 is sufficiently low to permit the reel to pivot readily as the force of the hose on the inside of the discs of the reel exert a turning moment thereupon.

It will be noted that the pivoting shaft 4 is positioned in a plane that is intermediate the planes of the two discs 8 and 9 as well .as intermediate the planes in which the long sides 25 and 26 of the frame are located. This center or balanced pivoting arrangement greatly facilitaes the smooth rotation of the frame and reel around the vertical axis-provided by the shaft 4. r a

It will readily be understood that various modifications, substitutions, additions and transpositions may be made in the elements set forth in the appended claims'without departing from the broad spirit of the invention set forth in the combinations claimed.

My claims are: r r

1. In a hose storing device, a combination including: a rectangular frame formed from a single strip of material, the two ends of the strip overlapping to produce a double thickness short side for the rectangular frame; a reelcomprising two parallel discs and a shaft extending through the centers thereof and secured thereto, said discs spaced and joined by an open core structure concentric with said discs; said reel positioned between the long sides of said frame, said shaft extending through bearing holes so positioned in both of said long sides that the other short side of the rectangle will be sufiiciently spaced from the edges of the discs to form a handle for carrying the device, one end of said shaft being formed into a bell- I crank for rotating said reel; a round rod extending from said double-thickness short side intermediate the short sides two ends of extending parallel to the long sides of the rectangle and away from the reel, said rod passing through both thicknesses of the material forming said double-thickness short side, and threaded means for securing said rod to said double-thickness short side, said means comprising threads on at least a portion of the rod passing through said double-thickness side and a nut threaded on said portion for preventing longitudinal movement of said rod in at least one direction with respect to said double-thickness side, said rod having a second portion free from bearing members, keys and projections to provide a vertical axis for freely pivoting said reel within the ground when said second portion is inserted therein.

2. In a hose storing device, a combination including:

a rectangular frame formed from a single strip of material, the two ends of the strip overlapping to produce a double thickness short side for the rectangular frame; a reel comprising two parallel' discs and a shaft extending through the centers thereof and secured thereto, said discs spaced and joined by an open .core structure concentric with said discs; said core constructed to receive one end of the hose therein,:said reel positioned between the long sides of said frame, said shaft extending through bearing holes so positioned in both of said long sides that the other short side of the rectangle will be sutficiently spaced from the edges of .the discs to forma handle for carrying the device, one end of said shaft being formed into a bell-crank for rotating said reel; and a round rod extending from said double-thickness short side intermediate the short sides two ends and extending parallel to the long sides of the rectangle and away from the reel, said rod passing through both thicknesses of the material forming said doublethickness short side, and threaded means for securing said rod to said double-thickness short side, said means comprising threads on at least a portion of the rod passing through said double-thickness side and a nut threaded on said portion for preventing longitudinal movement of said rod in at least one direction with respect to said doublethickness side, said rod having a second portion free from bearing members, keys and projections to provide a vertical axis for freely pivoting sa-id reel Within the ground when said second portion is inserted therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH P. STRIZAK, Examiner. 

1.IN A HOSE STORING DEVICE, A COMBINATIN INCLUDING: A RECTANGULAR FRAME FORMED FROM A SINGLE STRIP OF MATERIAL, THE TWO ENDS OF THE STRIP OVERLAPPING TO PRODUCE A DOUBLE THICKNESS SHORT SIDE FOR THE RECTANGULAR FRAME; A REEL COMPRISING TWO PARALLEL DISCS AND A SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH THE CENTERS THEREOF AND SECURED THERETO, SAID DISCS SPACED AND JOINED BY AN OPEN CORE STRUCTURE CONCENTRIC WITH SAID DISCS; SAID REEL POSITIONED BETWEEN THE LONG SIDES OF SAID FRAME, SAID SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH BEARING HOLES SO POSITIONED IN BOTH OF SAID LONG SIDES THAT THE OTHER SHORT SIDE OF THE RECTANGLE WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY SPACED FROM THE EDGES OF THE DISCS TO FORM A HANDLE FOR CARRYING THE DEVICE, ONE END OF SAID SHAFT BEING FORMED INTO A BELLCRANK FOR ROTATING SAID REEL; A ROUND ROD EXTENDING FROM SAID DOUBLE-THICKNESS SHORT SIDE INTERMEDIATE THE SHORT SIDE''S TWO ENDS OF EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE LONG SIDES OF THE RECTANGLE AND AWAY FROM THE REEL, SAID ROD PASSING THROUGH BOTH THICKNESS OF THE MATERIAL FORMING SAID DOUBLE-THICKNESS SHORT SIDE, AND THREADED MEANS FOR SECURING SAID ROD TO SAID DOUBLE-THICKNESS SHORT SIDE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING THREADS ON AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE 